2019 Science Super Star Teachers Share Their Words of Wisdom
The 2019 CRS Science Super Stars share some of their observations, advice, and experience. Read their words of wisdom and see examples from their excellence in elementary science!
Impact on Students
| "I have a student who is reading far below grade level and has a lot of difficulty staying focused. During science time she is able to participate in the experiments without needing to read or write, but she is able to use drawings and the posters and sentence frames to describe what she has been observing and what that means." -Susan Jones, 3rd Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy |  |
| All of my students are second language learners and I teach science in English, yet it's their favorite subject matter. My students love science, especially participating in the investigations. With science, the language does not appear to be such an obstacle for them. They are fully engaged and find the way to communicate their understanding through their notes, drawings and by conducting the investigations." -Gloria Garcia, 2nd Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy | "I have a student who decided that he wants to be a geologist because of the Pebbles, Sand and Silt foss lessons that we were doing. His parents got in touch with me to let me know how much they appreciate the science lessons, that he is collecting rocks at home and that he was a geologist for Halloween" – Robin Harley, Science Specialist, Sylvia Mendez Elementary |
| "Last year during our science fair investigation in which students answer: Do plants need light to grow? Students made predictions and one student had predicted that the plants grown in the dark would turn yellow. At the end of our 2 week investigation he remarked that his prediction was correct and that he predicted that because when his mom stopped watering their plant at home the plant had turned yellow. He was proud to have made that connection." – Denise Case, 1st Grade Teacher, International Community School |  |
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"One student did not want to engage in any learning in the beginning of the year. I asked him to support me with modeling an investigation and he quickly picked up on the phenomena. He is now my "expert scientist" and will engage in other content areas, knowing he will participate in science later, and that it helps him become a better scientist." -Hannah England Nelson, 3rd Grade Teacher, International Community School |
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"Almost all students love the hands-on. I can think of a particular student who is very quiet but loves the experiments and is very organized. This student gets to lead a small group, and gains confidence from that" -Christopher Ashley, 5th Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy |
"I have a student that has below basic reading skills and does not engage well in small groups, let alone whole classroom discussions. I observed him belly down across his desk trying to be called on or heard. He was totally engaged in answering/interacting with the presenter as he filled in information on a chart. My student was able to be involved verbally, and apparently, was very relaxed and focused on the activity. No thought of his insecurities." – Connie Zunino, 4th Grade Teacher, Prescott Elementary |
Teacher Strategies
| "One way to get students thinking like a scientist is to have them use science notebooks. It’s a great tool for having students not only keep track of what they are doing, but to make meaning of what they are learning. Science notebooks are also great formative assessment tools for teachers–we can quickly check inside the notebooks to see what students are understanding and what they are still grappling with." Ann Park, 5th Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy |  |
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"Collaborate with other teachers as much as possible. I find that all my conversations with other teachers help stretch my thinking. I think the best learning in my class comes when I have made ample space for students to share their thinking and their prior knowledge so I suggest making sure there is time in the lesson plan for lots of student talk." -Susan Jones, 3rd Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy
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| "If required to use curriculum, analyze NGSS and plan backwards from there. Cut out the unneeded/confusing elements of curriculum and supplement them with interests of your students." -Anderson deAndrade, 5th Grade Teacher, International Community School | "Make sure the students do the investigation prior to reading. It brings about a stronger connection to the content" – Nikita Gibbs-Nolen, 3rd Grade Teacher, Markham Elementary |
| "Let your students guide the conversations! Through student-led dialogue, they will come to understand the material in a more meaningful way than if you simply tell them the answer." Hannah England Nelson, 3rd Grade Teacher, International Community School |  |
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"I would encourage teachers to make sure they get at least 2 BASIS lessons lined up the school year and observe the lesson strategies and student engagement during a lesson." Connie Zunino, 4th Grade Teacher, Prescott Elementary |
Advice for Teachers
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"Don't be afraid of the failed experiment. It is a learning opportunity for everyone. The students might even figure out what went wrong before you do!" -Cherene Fillingim-Selk, Science Resource Teacher, Berkeley Arts Magnet
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"I would tell teachers to make sure students don't only present their information using words. They should be encouraged to use sketches, diagrams and graphic organizers as well." – Janet Belanoff, 3rd Grade Teacher, Collins Elementary
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| "Get outside the classroom – bring in the outside! Use videos and books to support understanding." -Meaghan Matsuoka, 1st-2nd Grade Teacher, Allendale Elementary |
"Just get in there and do it. Science can be intimidating, but just get started." Nicol LaCava, 2nd Grade Teacher, International Community School |
| "Just keep being interested in all the science in the world around you and especially from a kid's perspective. When there was the lunar eclipse we did a quick mystery science on what is an eclipse." Robin Harley, Science Specialist, Sylvia Mendez Elementary | "Create a safe environment for your scholars to make mistakes. Only through mistakes will 'their brains grow.'" -Connie Bi, 2nd Grade Teacher, Brookvale Elementary |
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"It has been really useful to do a school-wide focus on science notebooks and for me to be part of the NGSS Institute teacher group that met for a week over the summer. I also plan science with my grade level team every week." – Mia Kleven, 3rd Grade Teacher, Bridges Academy |